Standing Stone State Park

This park would deserve five stars if not for cars speeding on the main park road. When we were there on a Sunday through Wednesday in October, the trees were at peak fall color, so I was surprised the campground was so empty. The site we chose for a 23-foot travel trailer was a little small for our rig and our vehicle, but that was probably our fault for not picking a larger one. It was the first time we chose a sight that was not described as level, so it also took longer than usual to set up camp. Despite the short length, the campsite had a generous living area with a picnic table, fire ring, and grill.

All this aside, Standing Stone State Park is surrounded by 11,000 acres of State Forest and would be lovely any time of the year, but it was exceptionally beautiful with the trees in the brilliant reds, sunny yellows, and fiery orange of Fall. As it offers many activities, such as a swimming pool, boat rentals, and playgrounds, I imagine it is much busier in the summer, but we enjoyed the solitude of our stay. Usually, we do a lot of hiking, but the portions of the trail within the park were overgrown and too steep to walk with our dogs, who tend to pull a lot. We took part of the trail from the cabin area to the boat docks and the dam. We also walked along the main road, but when the sidewalk ended, I felt a little nervous walking on the shoulder due to the speeding cars.

On subsequent days we left the park to hike in the State Forest and the nearby Cummins Falls State Park. The area offers a diversity of natural areas and many interesting geological features.

My kids and I stayed in one of the cabins at Standing Stone State Park and we had a really great time. The cabin was very cute and rustic. It's not something that is super nice and modern, which I actually like. I love these old rustic ones. There is no TV but there is wifi. The kitchen had everything you would need. Sitting out on the porch was so peaceful and birds and squirrels would just come by. There was a grill, but no firepit or outdoor eating area. Our cabin had it's own parking area, but I did notice the two cabins next to us had a shared parking area, and the people from one of the cabins took both spots, so the couple who had just come in had to go park elsewhere. I felt bad for them cause they had every right to have that parking space. The people in that cabin were also very loud at all hours and played rap music super loud. That's not the parks fault and I don't mean to be a Karen, but I love the peace and quiet when we're at the parks. Also, there's not a whole lot to do if you're wanting a lot of fun activities. There's two playgrounds and a pool, but it wasn't open this past weekend. There are boat rentals and a small lake for fishing. This park is great if you are just wanting a very quiet, relaxing vacation to just slow down and not be on the go.